Police prosecutor Senior Constable Rachael Hitchens said police stopped Trott, who had his 12-year-old son in the car, on Allan St, Kyabram, at 6.43pm on September 7 last year.

Snr Constable Hitchens said after a preliminary oral fluid test revealed the presence of drugs, Trott refused to go to the police station for an evidentiary test despite being warned of the consequences.

‘‘He said he had to take his son home,’’ she said.

The court heard Trott had two other drug driving convictions.

The father-of-two, who represented himself in court, said the drug detected would have been marijuana and it was the first time he had it in four years.

‘‘It was stupid really,’’ he said.

The unemployed man did not appear too concerned about having his licence cancelled for such a long time as he said he had managed before without it.

Magistrate Sarah Leighfield said refusing to take a drug test came with harsher penalties than testing positive to drugs.

‘‘You would have been better to go to the police station and give a sample,’’ she said.

Ms Leighfield convicted and fined Trott $1000 and cancelled his licence for four years.